BANGKOK: Relatives of victims of a shooting at a high school and a home outside Bangkok retrieved the bodies of their loved ones on Saturday, a day after a 14-year-old gunman killed at least seven people before taking his own life.
The teenager opened fire at around 10 a.m. Friday at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province, northwest of Bangkok. Officials said he also appeared to have killed his two grandparents at their family home earlier that morning.
Sixteen people remained hospitalized on Saturday, with seven in critical condition, according to the Health Ministry. Most of those injured were between 12 and 14 years old.
All eight bodies including those of five school staff members, the alleged shooter and his two grandparents were collected by early Saturday afternoon from Bangkok’s Institute of Forensic Medicine. Emergency workers placed the bodies in coffins and transported them to their hometowns for funeral rites.
Wiroon Supasingsiripreecha, head of the institute, said most victims suffered a single fatal gunshot wound to a vital area, including the chest or head. He added that the gunshot wound found on the alleged shooter was consistent with the weapon used in the attack. More detailed forensic findings, including toxicology results, are expected later.
Officials said the gun, described as small and compact, was legally registered to the boy’s grandfather.
There were reports that the boy, who lived with his grandparents, had shown signs of stress related to school. However, some relatives told Thai media they were unaware of any difficulties he may have been experiencing.
The school announced that all classes would be suspended from Aug. 10 to Aug. 14, with staff instructed to work from home during the period.
On Saturday morning, the school remained quiet, with only a limited police presence at the entrance. Several mourners visited the site to lay flowers.
Charin Siriananchai brought his two sons, aged 9 and 6, to pay their respects. Although his sons do not attend the school, he lives nearby and drives past it almost every day, often stopping to let students cross the road.
“Everyone was saddened and shocked, because it was unexpected that this would happen in Thailand, and it is also quite a great loss,” he said.
Some parents also visited the school with their children to collect belongings left behind after the shooting. One father, who declined to give his name, said his son had been at the school during the attack and remained traumatized and unable to sleep alone.
Thailand has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in Asia, second only to Pakistan and significantly higher than those of its Southeast Asian neighbors.
Data collected in 2017 by the Small Arms Survey and GunPolicy.org estimated civilian gun ownership in Thailand at about 15.1 firearms per 100 people, compared with fewer than one per 100 people in neighboring Malaysia.
Thailand recorded 3.49 firearm-related deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, according to statistics published by World Population Review. While this rate remains well below levels seen in parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, it is relatively high for Asia, with only the Philippines recording a higher rate in Southeast Asia.
Although indiscriminate mass shootings are relatively uncommon, Thailand has experienced several high-profile shooting incidents in recent years.
In February, a 17-year-old reportedly stole a gun from police and opened fire at a public high school in southern Thailand, briefly taking people hostage during a two-hour attack that killed one person and injured two others. In 2023, a 14-year-old boy was accused of opening fire at a major shopping mall in Bangkok.
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